Clamp for bed-rails.



No. 682,386. Patented Sept. l0, l90l.

" U. C. OBLOSSER.

CLAMP FOR BED RAILS.

(Application filed Nov. 12, 1900.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES i ATnT (lemon,

ULYSSES C. OBLOSSER, OF ROHRSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CLAMP FOR BED-RAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 682,386, dated September 10, 1901.

Application filed November 12, 1900. $erial No. 36,249. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ULYSSES O. OBLOSSER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rohrsburg, in the county of Columbia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clamps for Bed-Rails; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention aims to provide a clamp which can be readily fitted to a bed, crib, or analogous article comprising side and cross pieces to prevent the spreading of said side pieces or rails and which can be readily and easily removed to admit of the bed or structure being taken apart or for any other purpose.

The invention consists of the novel features, details of construction, and combinations of the parts which hereinafter will be more particularly set forth, and embodied in the subjoined claim.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and drawings hereto attached.

WVhile the essential and characteristic features of the invention are necessarily susceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a detail view showing the application of the invention, the rail or side piece being in section. Fig. 2 is a top plan View. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the clamp.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The body of the clamp comprises a plate, frame, or base 1 of oblong form and provided at one end with a jaw 2, having spurs 3, the

opposite end of the plate being widened and receiving a pair of beaded studs 4 for directin g and holding the levers 5, provided at their outer ends with jaws 6, having inner spurs 7. The outer end portion of the plate 1 is dropped or offset, as shown at 8, to clear the bottom edge of the side piece or rail 9 and admit of the major portion of the clamp coming close against the bottom side of the slat or crosspiece 10. The plate or frame may be of any length and width, according to the special purpose for which the clamp is constructed. The lovers 5 are symmetrically curved in opposite directions, and their bent ends 6 constitute movable jaws, which cooperate with the fixed jaw 2. Arcuate slots 11 are formed in the outer end portions of the lovers 5 to receive the headed studs 1, whereby in the operation of the clamp the jaws 6 receive a simultaneous longitudinal and lateral movement, whereby the slat or cross-piece 10 is gripped and the jaw 2 forced against the outer side of the part A lug 12 projects from the plate 1 and comes between the inner ends of the levers 5 and prevents lateral displacement thereof and codperates with the headed studs 1 to direct the jaws in their longitudinal movements. The upper end portions of the levers 5 are widened to allow for the formation of the arcuate slots 11 without materially weakening them.

An operatinglever 13 is fulcrumed at its inner end to the plate 1 at 14, and its outer end is bent about at a right angle, as shown at 15, to provide a stop for engagement with the edge of the plate or frame 1 to limit the inward movement of the lever when fixing the clamp to the part to be stayed. This bent end 15 is widened for the finger of the hand to obtain an extended bearing against to obviate injurious pressure when forcing the outer end of the lever 13 inward. The pivotfastening of the lever 13 is located midway between the edges of the plate or frame 1. A coupling-plate 16 has pivotal connection at one end with the lever 13 a short distance from the pivot-fastening 14, and the levers 5 have pivotal connection with the opposite end of said coupling-plate, as shown at 17. The pivotal connection 18 between the couplingplate 16 and the lever 13 is adjacent to the pivot lei, and is at such a distance therefrom as to insure proper movement of the movable jaws. When the outer end of the lever 13 is moved inward until its bent end 15 engages with the adjacent edge of the frame or plate 1, the pivot 18 will be about in longitudinal alinement with the pivot 14: or to one side of a longitudinal line passing midway between the edges of the plate and through the lug 12 and pivot 14. This disposition of the parts is necessary in order to form a lock for the lever 13 and prevent its end 15 flying outward after the clamp has been properly positioned.

In practice the clamp is applied to each end of a slat or cross-piece, the latter serving as a tie between the side pieces or rails to be connected and prevented from spreading. The clamp when in position forms a firm connection between the end of the slat or crosspiece 10 and the rail 9 and prevents outward displacement of the latter. The clamp is applied by placingit against the bottom side of the slat r cross-piece l0 and the lower edge of the side piece or rail 9, the jaw 3 being exterior to the outer side of the rail 9, with its spurs 3 touching the said outer side, and the slat or cr0ss*piece 10 comes between the jaws 6. Upon moving the outer end of the lever 13 inward the jaws 6 receive asimultaneous lateral and longitudinal movement, which causes them to grip the opposite edges of the slat 10 and force the spurs 7 therein, and the spurs 3 enter the outer side of the rail and prevent the'outer end portion of the clamp from downward displacement. In the event of the slat or cross-piece being too wide it is necessary to trim the same so as to have it of a width corresponding to the distance between the jaws 6 when moved to the limit of their inward throw. Should the slat not be wide enough, it would be necessary to fit shims or pieces to the edges thereof, as will be readily comprehended.

The levers 5 are transversely spaced at their inner ends and have independent pivotal connection with the plate 16 upon oppo site sides of a central line. This arrangement admits 0f the levers lying close against the base 1 and in the same plane, which is of material advantage. Moreover, when the lever 13 is operated the pivot-fastenings 17 are thrown one in advance of the other, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, thereby imparting a differential movement to the levers 5 and jaws 6, with the result that the jaws are caused to operate by a draw action and the movement of the lever 13 greatly fa cilitated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- In a clamp of the character described, a frame provided with a jaw at one end, an operating-lever fulcrumed to the frame inter mediate of its ends, a plate pivoted at one end to the operating-lever, other levers lying in the same plane close againt the opposite end of the frame and having independent piv= otal connection at their inner ends with the aforesaid pivoted plate on opposite sides of a medial line and having their outer ends bent to provide jaws, and a guide-lug arranged in the space between a pair of levers, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ULYSSES O. OBLOSSER.

Witnesses:

WILLETS K. BEAGLE, W. H. HENRIE. 

